Korean Wedding Vocabulary — Ceremony and Traditions

<h2>Korean Weddings: A Unique Blend of Modernity and Tradition</h2> <p>Korean weddings are a unique experience. After attending over 30 weddings here in 12 years (and getting married in Korea myself), I can tell you they're very different from what you might expect. Shorter, more organized, and with fascinating traditions. And of course, wedding vocabulary is essential if you have Korean friends or family.</p> <h2>Basic Wedding Vocabulary — 결혼 기본 단어</h2> <table> <tr><th>Korean</th><th>Romanization</th><th>English</th></tr> <tr><td>[결혼](/en/dictionary/%EA%B2%B0%ED%98%BC)</td><td>gyeol-hon</td><td>Marriage</td></tr> <tr><td>결혼식</td><td>gyeol-hon-sik</td><td>Wedding ceremony</td></tr> <tr><td>[결혼하다](/en/dictionary/%EA%B2%B0%ED%98%BC%ED%95%98%EB%8B%A4)</td><td>gyeol-hon-ha-da</td><td>To get married</td></tr> <tr><td>신랑</td><td>sin-rang</td><td>Groom</td></tr> <tr><td>신부</td><td>sin-bu</td><td>Bride</td></tr> <tr><td>부부</td><td>bu-bu</td><td>Married couple</td></tr> <tr><td>약혼</td><td>ya-kon</td><td>Engagement</td></tr> <tr><td>신혼부부</td><td>sin-hon-bu-bu</td><td>Newlyweds</td></tr> <tr><td>신혼여행</td><td>sin-hon-yeo-haeng</td><td>Honeymoon</td></tr> <tr><td>청첩장</td><td>cheong-cheop-jang</td><td>Wedding invitation</td></tr> </table> <h2>The Ceremony — [결혼식](/en/dictionary/%EA%B2%B0%ED%98%BC%EC%8B%9D)</h2> <p>A typical Korean wedding lasts about 30 minutes (yes, that's it!). It usually takes place in a <strong>웨딩홀</strong> (wedding hall), a specialized venue that hosts multiple weddings per day.</p> <table> <tr><th>Korean</th><th>Romanization</th><th>English</th></tr> <tr><td>웨딩홀</td><td>we-ding-hol</td><td>Wedding hall</td></tr> <tr><td>주례</td><td>ju-rye</td><td>Officiant / master of ceremony</td></tr> <tr><td>예식</td><td>ye-sik</td><td>Ceremony (formal term)</td></tr> <tr><td>하객</td><td>ha-gaek</td><td>Wedding guest</td></tr> <tr><td>축가</td><td>chuk-ga</td><td>Congratulatory song</td></tr> <tr><td>축사</td><td>chuk-sa</td><td>Congratulatory speech</td></tr> <tr><td>부케</td><td>bu-ke</td><td>Bridal bouquet</td></tr> <tr><td>웨딩드레스</td><td>we-ding-deu-re-seu</td><td>Wedding dress</td></tr> <tr><td>턱시도</td><td>teok-si-do</td><td>Tuxedo</td></tr> </table> <h3>The 축의금 Tradition — The Money Envelope</h3> <p>The most important (and stressful) tradition at Korean weddings is <strong>축의금</strong> (chuk-ui-geum): the monetary gift. In Korea, you don't give physical presents — you give cash in a white envelope.</p> <table> <tr><th>Relationship</th><th>Typical Amount</th></tr> <tr><td>Work colleague</td><td>50,000 ₩ (~$38)</td></tr> <tr><td>Close friend</td><td>100,000 ₩ (~$75)</td></tr> <tr><td>Very close friend / distant family</td><td>100,000 - 200,000 ₩</td></tr> <tr><td>Close family</td><td>200,000 - 500,000 ₩</td></tr> </table> <p><strong>Important rule:</strong> The amount must ALWAYS be an odd number of bills (1, 3, 5). Even numbers are considered bad luck at Korean weddings. And you should use crisp new bills, never wrinkled ones!</p> <h2>The 폐백 — Traditional Ceremony</h2> <p>After the Western-style ceremony, Korean couples change into <strong>한복</strong> for the <strong>폐백</strong> (pye-baek), the traditional family-only ceremony.</p> <table> <tr><th>Korean</th><th>Romanization</th><th>English</th></tr> <tr><td>폐백</td><td>pye-baek</td><td>Traditional post-wedding ceremony</td></tr> <tr><td>절</td><td>jeol</td><td>Deep bow</td></tr> <tr><td>대추</td><td>dae-chu</td><td>Jujubes (tossed at the bride)</td></tr> <tr><td>밤</td><td>bam</td><td>Chestnuts (fertility symbol)</td></tr> <tr><td>시부모님</td><td>si-bu-mo-nim</td><td>In-laws (groom's parents)</td></tr> </table> <p>During the 폐백, the groom's parents toss <strong>대추</strong> (jujubes) and <strong>밤</strong> (chestnuts) toward the bride, who catches them in her [hanbok](/en/blog/the-hanbok-korea-s-traditional-clothing-history-pieces-vocabulary) skirt. The number she catches predicts how many children they'll have! The couple also performs deep bows (절) before their parents to show respect.</p> <h2>Before the Wedding — 결혼 준비</h2> <table> <tr><th>Korean</th><th>Romanization</th><th>English</th></tr> <tr><td>맞선</td><td>mat-seon</td><td>Arranged meeting (by parents)</td></tr> <tr><td>소개팅</td><td>so-gae-ting</td><td>Blind date (set up by friends)</td></tr> <tr><td>프로포즈</td><td>peu-ro-po-jeu</td><td>Proposal</td></tr> <tr><td>혼수</td><td>hon-su</td><td>Wedding furnishings / dowry</td></tr> <tr><td>예물</td><td>ye-mul</td><td>Wedding gifts (jewelry)</td></tr> <tr><td>스튜디오 촬영</td><td>seu-tyu-di-o chwal-yeong</td><td>Studio photo shoot</td></tr> </table> <p><strong>스튜디오 촬영</strong> (studio photo shoots) are a huge deal in Korea. Couples easily spend 2-5 million won ($1,500-3,500) on professional pre-wedding photos. The results are spectacular — like real magazine spreads.</p> <h2>Wedding-Related Expressions</h2> <table> <tr><th>Korean</th><th>Romanization</th><th>English</th></tr> <tr><td>축하해요!</td><td>chu-ka-hae-yo!</td><td>Congratulations!</td></tr> <tr><td>결혼 축하합니다</td><td>gyeol-hon chu-ka-ham-ni-da</td><td>Congratulations on your wedding</td></tr> <tr><td>행복하세요</td><td>haeng-bo-ka-se-yo</td><td>Be happy</td></tr> <tr><td>백년해로</td><td>baeng-nyeon-hae-ro</td><td>A hundred years together (traditional wish)</td></tr> </table> <p>💍 <strong>Want to master Korean for every occasion?</strong> <a href="/en/signup">Sign up on Seonsaengnim</a> and [learn Korean](/en/korean) with interactive lessons!</p>